Six-way pedestrian scramble crossing to be tested at Robson and Granville

Intersection of Robson and Granville streets in downtown Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Before Summer 2024, the prominent intersection of Granville and Robson streets in downtown Vancouver, known for its high pedestrian traffic, will be converted into a six-way pedestrian scramble crossing on a pilot project basis.

This pedestrian scramble location is being recommended by City of Vancouver staff, and it is expected to see approval by Vancouver City Council next week.

The decision to pursue a pedestrian scramble pilot project follows City Council’s approved direction this past spring.

A pedestrian scramble includes a long signal phase enabling pedestrians to cross in all directions of the street, including diagonally.

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City staff are recommending Granville Street/Robson Street based on their analysis that the location has the lowest impact on vehicles. Other intersections considered for the pilot project but rejected include Granville Street/West Georgia Street, Commercial Drive/East 1st Avenue, and Denman Street/Davie Street.

“Based on traffic analysis and preliminary signal timing design, staff recommend a single pedestrian scramble pilot location at the intersection of Granville Street and Robson Street,” state City staff in a report.

“This location is a strong candidate due to the consistently high pedestrian crossing volumes, restricted vehicle turning movements, presence of upgraded signal infrastructure, and it being a high profile nexus of pedestrian activity.”

Intersection of Robson and Granville streets in downtown Vancouver. (Perkins & Will/Bonnis Properties)

However, City staff state TransLink has expressed concern that the selected location could potentially have a high impact on public transit riders on the Granville Mall’s bus artery, which is used by over 1,120 buses and 21,000 passengers daily. There could be added north-south delays to buses due to the reduced green time for vehicles.

City staff are also recommending a specific pedestrian scramble signalling pattern that enables pedestrians to cross concurrently with vehicles during non-scramble phases. This is referred to as the “Type 2” pedestrian scramble. While this would maximize priority for pedestrians, with a six-way scramble crossing duration of 31 seconds, it would increase delays for buses.

An alternative pattern, deemed as “Type 1,” restricts pedestrian movements to only the six-way scramble phase.

The two different types of pedestrian scramble patterns, with City staff recommending Type 2 (bottom). (City of Vancouver)

City Council previously endorsed the use of up to $500,000 from the provincial government’s Growing Community Fund allocation of $26 million to the City of Vancouver towards the pedestrian scramble pilot project, but City staff now anticipated the actual cost to be significantly lower at between $100,000 and $200,000 due to the cost advantages of the recommended location with its existing newer signal equipment.

According to City staff, Vancouver was one of the first cities to implement a pedestrian scramble, previously found at the intersection of Granville and West Hastings streets between 1953 and 1970.

In 2019, the City installed an “all-walk” phase at the intersection of Hornby and Robson streets to stop all vehicle traffic to let pedestrians cross in all directions except diagonally.

Elsewhere in the region, there has been a six-way pedestrian scramble at the intersection of No. 1 Road and Moncton Street in the heart of Richmond’s Steveston Village since 2011.

tokyo shibuya crossing pedestrian scramble

The iconic Shibuya Crossing intersection in Tokyo with its pedestrian scramble. (Shutterstock)

oxford circus london pedestrian scramble

The pedestrian scramble intersection in Oxford Circus in London, UK. (Shutterstock)

The pedestrian scramble at the intersection of Yonge and Dundas streets in downtown Toronto. (Shutterstock)

The world’s best-known pedestrian scramble is certainly Shibuya Crossing, where as many as 3,000 people cross the intersection in each vehicle stop signal phase. For well over a decade, a pedestrian scramble has existed at the busy intersection at Oxford Circus in London.

Within Canada, there are five pedestrian scrambles in Toronto, including the intersection of Yonge and Dundas streets downtown.

In 2021, Edmonton added two additional pedestrian scrambles for a total of 10 intersections with such crossing phases and markings. There is even a pedestrian scramble in Banff’s village centre at the intersection of Banff Avenue and Wolf Street.

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